Railroad track turnout



Jan. 16, 1962 A. A. KNlFF RAILROAD TRACK TURNOUT Filed March 31, 1961 6I F m 3 0 3 l 7 J0 3 l 2++ 3 0 p 1 m 6 u a F INVENTOR. 4061/57 A. XIV/FFsmeu/ A TWRIVEYS 3,617,503 Patented Jan. 16, 1982 hce 3,017,503 RAILROADTRACK TURNOUT August A. Kniff, San Dimas, Calif., assignor, by directand mesne assignments, to Trim-Scale Models, line, an Dimas, Calif., acorporation of (Ialifornia Filed Mar. 31, 1961, Ser. No. 99,815 6Claims. (Cl. 246-415) This invention relates to a model railroad trackturnout.

It is conventional in model railroads to supply electricity to theengine by making two rails the terminals of an electric circuit. Theengine wheels serve as contact means to complete the circuit to themotor. Difliculty has been encountered in switching model railroadtrains because it has heretofore not been possible to get the wing railsand frog point rails close enough to each other to enable the wheels tomake continuous contact with the rails and thereby avoid an interruptionin the current when the train passes over the switch. Previous attemptsto get the rails close enough to avoid such an interruption haveordinarily resulted in short circuits occurring between branches of thetracks, which disabled the entire railroad system. On the other hand,when the rails Were spaced far enough apart to reliably avoid shortcircuits, there has been formed a gap over which the engine had tocoast. This was inconvenient, because many times the train did not haveenough inertia to coast over the switch, and the train would stall. Oncestalled at this point, it could no be restarted without pushing it tothe next rails.

Also, when a large gap was formed between the rails, it has also beenconventional practice to bridge the gap by means of an insulatingsupport which the wheels would ride while passing to the next rails.This would work well enough for a while, despite the need for the engineto coast over the gap, but the plastic would soon begin to wear, andthen it was necessary for the trian to climb up out of a declivity, andthere often was not enough torque at the motor to do this.

Furthermore, the current switching techniques used in previous switchesprecluded the operation of more than one train at a time.

It is an object of this invention to provide a turnout switch whichenables current to be applied from stock rails through wing rails to thevery points of frog rails, which can be so closely brought together thatthere need be no electrical gap or circuit breaking point when the wheelpasses from the wing rails to the frog point rails. In fact, these railsmay be brought so close together that there is no appreciable wheel dropat the switch. Furthermore, more than one train can be operated on thetracks at the same time by use of the instant switching techniques.

This invention is carried out in combination with a conductive first andsecond stock rail. First portions of these stock rails are parallel toeach other, and second portions of them diverge from each other. A pairof conductive frog point rails are spaced from and disposed at an angleto each other. They lie between the second portions of the stock rails.Each is parallel to its nearer stock rail.

A pivot unit is located between the stock rails and is adapted to swingin an arc in the plane of the rails. The pivot unit includes a pair ofconductive and conductively interconnected wing rails, each of which hasa diverter portion parallel to the second portion of the stock railwhich is farther from it. Each wing rail also includes a contactorportion, these contactor portions diverging from each other and fromtheir respective diverter portions. They straddle the frog point rails.A pair of contacts are provided, each one of which is connected to arespective one of the frog point rails, and is so disposed and arrangedas to be contacted by the contactor portion of the wing rail which liesbetween it and its respective stock rail at a location spaced from thesaid frog point rail. It is disconnected therefrom at a location closerto the frog point rail. The result of the above is that physicalswitching of the engine and electrical switching of the connections arecarried out by contact with a respective diverter portion with one ofthe stock rails and simultaneous connection between a contact and thecontactor portion of the wing rails so as to supply current from one ofthe stock rails to the frog rail in the direction in which the engine isto be switched.

The above and other features of this invention will be fully appreciatedfrom the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are plan views of the presently preferred embodiment ofthe invention, shown in two different switching positions; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken at line 33 of FIG. 2.

The presently preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1and 2. In FIG. 1, the train will be switched to the right, and in FIG.2, it will be switched to the left. With initial reference to FIG. 1,there is shown a model railroad turnout 10, which includes ties 11. Theties may be made of insulating material and may all be cast in a singlepiece, together with tracks that are supported by the ties, if desired.

A first stock rail 12 (which may be straight, and is sometimes hereincalled the straight stock rail) forms one part of the trackage, while asecond stock rail 13 (which may be curved, and is sometimes hereincalled the curve stock rail) forms another part. First portions 14, 15of rails 12 and 13 are parallel to each other and form an initialportion of the trackage. Second portions 16, 17 of rails 12 and 13diverge from each other, each forming the outer rail of trackage beyonda switching point. As it happens, the first stock rail 12 is a straightpiece of track while the second stock rail is a curved piece of track,and this forms a right hand turnout. It will be recognized that thefirst stock rail could instead have been curved so that the switchingwould not have resulted in a simple turnout from a straight piece oftrack but a choice between two curves, or the straightness and curvaturecould have been reversed to form a left hand turnout. The example shownis therefore not a limitation on the invention, but is for illustrationonly.

Guard rails 18, 19 are disposed inside the stock rails to retain theflanges of the outside wheels when the wheels pass over the frog.

A pivot unit 20 includes a pivot 21 which may be a simple pin 22 andplate 23 to which a pair of conductive wing rails 24. 25 are mounted.Wing rails 24 and 25 may be joined by additional plates 26 and 27. Allrails in this turnout are conductive. At least one of the plates formsconductive means to conductively interconnect the wing rails.

A switch arm 28 is connected to plate 27 and projects to one side of theties for swinging the pivot unit in the plane of F GS. 1 and 2, which isalso the plane of the rails.

Wing rails 24 and 25 have respective diverter portions 29, 30, whoselower ends 31, 32 are spaced apart by a distance less than the spacingbetween the first portions of the stock rails. The stock rails haveindentations 33, 34 to receive the thin ends 31, 32 of the diverterportions. The diverter portions are generally parallel to the secondportions of the stock rails and are spaced apart by a distance less thanthe spacing between the stock rails.

The wing rails also have contactor portions 35, 36

which diverge from each other and from their respective diverterportions. These straddle a pair of frog point rails 37, 38. The frogpoint rails are generally parallel to the second portions of the stockrails closer to them and converge nearly to a point, at which they arespaced from each other by a central insulator 39 (see FIG. 3). Outsideinsulators 40, 41 are provided on the opposite sides of the frog pointrails from the central insulator.

Contacts 42, 43 are respectively connected to frog point rails 37, 38and have contact buttons 44, 45, respectively, which project upwardlybetween the ties so they can be contacted by the contactor portions ofthe wing rails which lie between their respective frog point rail andits nearer stock rail. Contact occurs when the respective contactorportion is moved away from its respective frog point rail. Contact isbroken when the respective contactor portion is moved toward therespective frog point rail. This relationship is best illustrated inFIGS. 2 and 3, where the upper end of the pivot unit is moved to theleft so that contactor portion 35 connects with button 45, and contactorportion 36 is moved off of and away from button 45.

Electricity is supplied to the rails in conventional fashion from apower supply 46 with leads 47, 48 connected to the stock rails. For aconvenience in disclosure, the straight stock rail 12 is shown as anegative terminal, and the curve stock rail as a positive terminal. Thepolarity of the frog point rails is indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Thesymbol indicates that current is off in a particular rail. It will beobserved that the current never changes in either of the stock rails butcurrent switching occurs between the frog point rails, so thatelectricity is supplied to the frog point rail which lies in thedirection in which the train is to be switched.

The operation of the turnout should be evident from the above. In FIG.1, the turnout is arranged so that a train is switched to the right. Forthis purpose, switch arm 28 is moved to the left so that diverterportion 29 contacts the ctrai-ght stock rail. Then current flows throughWing rail 24 across the plates to wing rail to button 45 through contact43 to frog point rail 38. It will be seen, therefore, that positivepolarity is provided on the curve stock rail and that negative polarityis provided continuously from the straight stock rail, all along wingrail 24, and to frog point rail 38. The only discontinuity occursbetween the junction on wing rail 24 between its two portions, and thefrog point rail. However, due to the presence of the insulators,contactor portion may be brought very close to frog point rail 37, andthe spacing between wing rail 24 and frog point rail 38 made so smallthat it is easily bridged by a Wheel of the engine, which wheel remainsin continuous contact with one of said rails, so as to provide currentto the train continuously without any break. Therefore, the train canproceed directly across the gap, or can even stop there and start upagain. The spacing can be made so short that there is no substantialwheel drop. Also, there is no necessity for providing a support belowthis point to keep the wheel from dropping. All of this is accomplishedwithout any possibility of shorting across between the various rails.

The other switching condition is shown in FIG. 2, where it will beobserved that there is contact between the diverter portion 30 of wingrail 25 and the curve stock rail 13 so that the train will go straightahead which is to say, take the left branch. Both wing rails therebybecome positive in polarity and this current is conducted to contact 42.This applies positive polarity to frog point rail 37 so that the trainis directed into this branch and the continuity of current is the sameas that just described in connection with the other switching condition.Contact 43 is not touched by a wing rail, so that its respective frogpoint rail is without polarity.

It will be observed that in FIG. 1, where switching is to be the right,the entire pivot unit takes on the polarity of the straight stock rail,that is, negative polarity, while in switching to the right, the entirepivot unit takes on the polarity of the curve stock rail, that is,positive.

This invention thereby provides easy electrical and physical switchingwhich eliminates shorts and stoppages at the switch and enables morethan one train to be operated on a track system at the same time. Forexample, in FIG. 2, a train could previously have been operated on thebranch formed by the straight stock rail and a continuation of frogpoint rail 37 Upon switching to the condition in FIG. 1, that train willstop, and another train on that portion of trackage formed by both stockrails can be moved onto and run on the branch formed by the curve stockrail and a continuation of frog point rail 38. Therefore, by use of thisswitch, trains in either one of the branches may be independentlycontrolled and operated.

This invention is not to be limited by the embodiment shown in thedrawings and described in the description which is given by way ofexample and not of limitation, but only in accordance with the scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. A model railroad turnout comprising: a conductive first stock rail; aconductive second stock rail, first portions of said stock rails beingparallel, and second portions diverging from each other; a pair ofconductive frog point rails spaced from and disposed at an angle to eachother, and lying between said second portions, each being parallel toits nearer stock rail; a pivot unit between the stock rails, said unitbeing pivotally mounted to swing in an arc in the plane of said rails,said pivot unit comprising a pair of conductive and conductivelyinterconnected wing rails, each having a diverter portion parallel tothe second portion of the stock rail farther from it, and a contactorportion, the contactor portions diverging from each other and from theirrespective diverter portions and straddling the frog point rails, theends of the wing rails removed from the contactor portions lying betweenthe first portions of the stock rails and being spaced apart by adistance less than the spacing of the said stock rail first portions; apair of contacts, each conductively connected to a respective one of thefrog point rails, and being so disposed and arranged as to be contactedby the contactor portion of the wing rail which lies between it and itsrespective stock rail at a location spaced from the said frog pointrail, and to be disconnected therefrom at a location closer to the frogpoint rail; whereby with the pivot unit swung so that the diverterportion of the wing rail nearer the first stock rail makes contact withthe first stock rail, the contactor portion of the wing rail fartherfrom the first stock rail is moved away from the frog point rail closerto the second stock rail and connects with its con tact, while thecontactor portion of the other wing rail is moved away from its contactand disconnected therefrom, both wing rails, and the frog point railfarthest from the first stock rail thereby being supplied with currentfrom the first stock rail, and the pivot unit further serving tophysically switch a train from trackage comprising the two stock railsto trackage comprising the second stock rail and the frog point railnearer to it, swinging the pivot unit so that the wing rail closer tothe second stock rail contacts the second stock rail serving to removethe other wing rail from contact with the first stock rail, moving thecontactor portion of the wing rail closer to the second stock rail andoff of its contact and connecting the other contactor portion to itscontact, whereby current from the second stock rail is supplied throughthe pivot unit to the frog point rail closer to the first stock rail,and a train is switched to trackage comprising a first stock rail andthe frog point track closer to it.

2. A model railroad turnout according to claim 1 in which the contactscomprise flexible tabs lying beneath the respective contactor portions,and a button which, when free, projects above the bottom of itsrespective contactor portion.

3. A model railroad turnout according to claim 1 in which guard railsare placed inside each of the stock rails opposite the contactorportions of the wing rails to provide lateral support for a wheelflange.

No references cited.

